I'm Ahead of Blogs For Once

Yes, though Richard no longer lived in the Deep South, the subservience he expressed through his daily life was still necessary. Within the Deep South, many white people would use any excuse to beat an African-American like Richard. Though they were a little more tolerant in Memphis, they would still inflict a horrible punishment on Richard if they felt he had in any way disrespected them or slighted their authority. This is shown by the attitude change that occurs when he finally announces he is going North. As Wright states, their attitude towards him changed and began questioning him as to why he would go North, and he had to carefully word his answers so as not to imply any wrongdoing on their part. This sensitivity to small slights is exactly why Wright needed to maintain his subservient attitude throughout his life in the South.